From Compressed Edges to Living Interfaces

The Living interface project proposes a coral reef restoration and hybrid sea wall project.for Kusu, one of Singapore’s Southern Island. It uses public stewardship and invitation, and a community platform to create an adaptable coastline that restores the islands’ ecology and fosters eco-tourism.

Kusu’s northwest seawall is wave-exposed and erosion-prone—a site shaped by both reclamation and
marine traffic. It was also the most frequently marked location during our community engagement sessions. This edge became my starting point for a newly designed interface that restores habitats, not just resists change.

The interface can be thought of as a folded intertidal edge as an adaptice coastal landscape. By reconfiguring the linear seawall into layered micro-terraces, I created calm habitats for marine life, supported seagrass meadows restoration, and strengthened ecological connectivity across the urban shoreline. In addition, I integrated ecological education, and invited community participation.